Perplexity’s ‘Personal Computer’ Brings Its AI Agents To, Uh, PCs

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Perplexity’s ‘Personal Computer’ Brings Its AI Agents To, Uh, PCs (Maria)

The author writes, “Last month, Perplexity announced the confusingly named ‘Computer,’ its cloud-based agent tool for completing tasks using a harness that makes use of multiple different AI models. This week, the company is moving that kind of functionality to the desktop with the confusingly named ‘Personal Computer,’ now available in early access by invite only.”

The US Built a Blueprint To Avoid Civilian War Casualties. Trump Officials Scrapped It. (Dana)

From ProPublica: “Images from the missile strike in southern Iran were more horrifying than any of the case studies Air Force combat veteran Wes J. Bryant had pored over in his mission to overhaul how the U.S. military safeguards civilian life. … Bryant, a former special operations targeting specialist, said he couldn’t help but think of what-ifs as he monitored fallout from the Feb. 28 attack. Just over a year ago, he had been a senior adviser in an ambitious new Defense Department program aimed at reducing civilian harm during operations. Finally, Bryant said, the military was getting serious about reforms. … Today, that momentum is gone.” 

In a Time of War With Iran, Americans Unite in Aggravation Over Sticker Shock at the Gas Pump (Reader Steve)

The authors write, “It seems a country divided on so many fronts is finding common ground in pain at the pump, where the cost of the Iran war is hitting Americans squarely in the wallet and aggravating people across the political spectrum.”

Pete Hegseth Blew Billions on Fruit Basket Stands, Chairs, and Crab (DonkeyHotey)

The author writes, “The Pentagon spent more money in September — the end of the 2025 fiscal year — than it had in any other year since 2008. But a good chunk of the budget wasn’t used for anything that could be considered a pertinent military expense. The Defense Department burned through $93 billion that month alone, signing checks left and right in order to dry up its congressionally allocated budget, according to a recent analysis by the government watchdog Open the Books.”

Civil Rights Imagery in Anti-Redistricting Mailers Draws Outrage in Virginia (Bethany)

From the Virginia Mercury: “A political action committee opposing Virginia’s April 21 redistricting referendum is facing sharp criticism after sending mailers to voters over the weekend that invoke imagery and language from the civil rights movement — a tactic voting rights advocates and state officials say distorts history and risks misleading voters. The mailers, distributed by a group called Democracy and Justice PAC, led by former GOP Delegate A.C. Cordoza, feature black-and-white imagery reminiscent of 1960s civil rights demonstrations. One piece shows a photograph of a large march, with protesters, many of them Black, carrying signs as they walk down a city street.”

A French Grandmother Took an American Road Trip — And Was Struck by What She Saw (Russ)

From The Washington Post: “Monique Uffholtz, 89, has always had a sense of adventure. She was born to French parents in Morocco, and when she was 19, she began driving back and forth between the two countries alone so she could spend her summers in France with family. ‘I love to travel,’ Uffholtz said. ‘I love to discover the habits of a new country.’ … Her most recent expedition was a three-week road trip in the American West with grandson and photographer Arnaud Montagard.”

Found: The 19th Century Silent Film That First Captured a Robot Attack (Al)

The author writes, “The Library of Congress has found and restored a long-lost silent film by Georges Méliès. The famed 19th century French filmmaker is best known for his groundbreaking 1902 science fiction adventure masterpiece Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon). The 45-second-long, one-reel short Gugusse et l’Automate — Gugusse and the Automaton — was made nearly 130 years ago. But the subject matter still feels timely. The film, which can be viewed on the Library of Congress’ website, depicts a child-sized robot clown who grows to the size of an adult and then attacks a human clown with a stick. The human then decimates the machine with a hammer.”